This question is for Neil Moore

[drm3395]

I am new to scroll sawing. I just received my first book and in it has the projects that you did of the racoon and fox. "Ultimate Scrolling Patterns Collection"

My question is, there are no instructions and by the pictures it is hard to see how you cute the different pieces. Can you help me out here? I have a child that went nuts over the racoon and I am a fox lover.

Thank yo so much.

Debbie Letford

[lucky788scroller]

Welcome aboard. Well, i am not Neal Moore (farrr from it actually), but I will try the best I can to help you out until he can. Choose a nice, light grained board, 3/4inch thick is perfect. Think of the project, and which way the hair lays on the real animal, and orient your grain direction to best give it a lifelike appearance once done. apply a layer of clear packing tape on the surface of your board, and apply spray adhesive on the pattern and stick that on top of the tape. Choose a blade, a small blade, like a #3 or #1 , because you want a small saw kerf because the pieces will fit back together nicely.Start pretty much anywhere you wish, and cut one piece off at a time, follow the lines as best you can, and dont get discouraged if you cant stay perfectly on the lines, only you will know that later.It doesnt really matter where you choose to start, jut cut one piece free at a time, and piece the thing back together again on the table. workbench or whatever (an old cakepan works nice it your afraid of pieces sliding onto the floor).One piece at a time, until your whole project is cut apart. On parts such as eyes, where a seperate blade entry hole are needed, drill as small as possible hole to insert your blade, or another option in a segmentation project is just to cut into that section from the other one, keeping in mind where that extra cut line will not be a distraction once finished.
After you have it al cut and pieced back together, take it back apart, one piece at a time (if you feel needed, mark the back of each piece to remember front/back) and remove the pattern.As you do this, place each piece in seperate piles, based on the color you plan to make each, light, med, dark, ect. Once all the pieces are sperated and patterns removed, your ready to color them.
This should hopefully get you on your way Debbie, and If you want will continue into coloring the pieces, and reassembling them after staining. Dont be intimidated, segmentation is really fun and looks so much harder then it really is, and once the project is complete they are awesome! I will attach a photo of the racoon I did,altered Neals plan a little but I liked the outcome. Feel free to ask questions, we are here to help, and at a great price too (FREE!!) Dale

[Rivari]

Dale that is a great variation of Neal's "Ratcoon".

Debbie, Dale has posted some good advice here and I am sure Neal will quickly chime in...he's that sort of guy. For what it is worth I have cut Neal's patterns and they are addicted as all get out, definately worth the minor expense of buying his book and getting all of his advice in writing.

[Neal Moore]

Debbie....Dale gave you just about all the basics you need; however, if you have specific questions or problems as you work on the projects just Email me and we'll work through them as you go. I'm happy you like the patterns and am more than pleased to help. BTW, welcome to the board and I hope you will visit with us often.

[SawTooth]

Neal,
I bought "Animal Portraits in Wood" and I look forward to completing some projects from there. I have a question about the assembly method shown. You demonstrate using a lot of hot glue. How do you get the completed projects to lay flat?

Spence

[BobD]

Hi Spence,
Neal isn't on the board as often during the summer (he spends a lot of time at his camp). I'll see if I can get ahold of him and ask him to respond.

Bob Duncan
Technical Editor

[Neal Moore]

My completed projects don't really lie flat on the backers in the frame. I use a fairly heavy application of silicon clear caulk between the portrait and the backer to glue it down. I once used 5/8 inch brads in a brad nailer and shot them through the back of the backer into the back of the portrait but the silicon works better in making the portrait lie flatter.

[SawTooth]

I'm a little surprised at your answer... but thanks for the reply. I am used to the back of a project being basically flat (of course, except for parts raised away from the back). Maybe when I've completed some projects from your book I'll be able to see how it differs from other projects I've done.

Spence

[workin for wood]

That answer surprises me too. I'd be curious to see one of those in person.

[BobD]

I've got Neal's tiger (the first one he did for the magazine) in my office. Looking at it (framed) it has almost a shadow-box look...It really looks a lot like a relief carving that was deeply undercut.

Bob